Just when you think that you’ve seen it all in the NBA, the league throws a curveball at you. That’s exactly what happened when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, has agreed to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers from the estate of Paul G. Allen for a mind-boggling valuation of $4 billion. If you think that this is great news for the Trail Blazers and it’s supporters, you should hold that thought for a second.

But why? You might ask. While most of the time, new ownership means the start of a new era and more money being pumped into the franchise, that might not be the case for the Trail Blazers. That’s because Tom Dundon isn’t someone you’d want to own your beloved franchise. This isn’t our opinion; this is what several of the top NHL agents think about the Hurricanes’ owner. In fact, according to a survey conducted by The Athletic, Tom Dundon was voted as the worst NHL owner. That’s not a good sign for Damian Lillard and Co.

Yes, you read that right, the worst owner in the entire league! That’s certainly not the kind of reputation you’d want your team’s new owner to have. But, it’s hard not to think, why did the ‘Canes owner get such a bad reputation among the NHL agents? Well, according to reports, it’s because Dundon micromanages everything and his intense involvement negatively impacts the organization’s culture. Well, that’s not good news for Damian Lillard and Co. 

That’s because ever since the franchise’s former owner, Paul G. Allen, passed, the Trail Blazers have been on a downward spiral. Upon his passing, all of his ventures, including the NBA franchise, went to his estate, which is looked after by his sister, Jody Allen. She had been given the task to sell the franchise to the highest bidder, and that was a ray of hope for the Trail Blazers supporters. They thought that the new owner would be the one to restore the franchise’s glory and tip off the start of a new era in Portland.

However, with the team being bought by an owner with a reputation as bad as Tom Dundon’s, it seems like there’s no hope for Damian Lillard and Co. So, does this mean things are about to get even worse for the Portland Trail Blazers? Well, that’s not entirely true, because while the NHL agents don’t like Tom Dundon’s ownership due to his micromanaging of team affairs and his negative impact on the organization’s culture, the Hurricanes fans are not on the same page as them.

Carolina Hurricanes fans give their honest opinion on the new Trail Blazers owner

The new ownership has been a long time coming for the Portland Trail Blazers; it has been something that the fans have been super excited about, only for them to be disappointed after getting to know their new owner’s reputation. But, is Tom Dundon actually as bad as the NHL agents think of him? Well, no. That’s because, according to the Carolina Hurricanes fans, Dundon is among the, if not the best, owners in the hockey league.

According to a fan survey held by The Athletic amongst the NHL fans, the Carolina supporters ranked Dundon the fourth-best owner under the franchise vision category and seventh for organizational stability. That’s a stark difference from where the NHL agents ranked Dundon. His most loved quality? Thinking outside the box. “Love (that) he is willing to think outside the ‘hockey box’ and basically doesn’t care about what anyone thinks. Also embracing the Billy Bean philosophy on selecting the players.” A ‘Canes fan said.

That’s a major sigh of relief for the Portland Trail Blazers supporters who thought that they were about to enter into a tough period for the franchise. While Tom Dundon might not be like the traditional owners, he does know how to manage things his own way. If you don’t believe the Carolina fans, you should definitely get some much-needed assurance from the fact that as soon as the news of him buying the Trail Blazers broke through, Dundon made sure that the fans knew that he would not be shifting the team to another city.

Now, that’s a good sign from any new owner’s side, as we eagerly await Tom Dundon’s era in Portland.